At the current stage of the MCU, there are indications that Marvel may be laying the groundwork for Peggy Carter's return in live-action movies. The adorable agent "Peggy Carter" made his MCU debut in Captain America and subsequently appeared several times in several films during the Infinite Saga phase. In addition, Peggy is also one of the focal characters in Marvel's "One-Shots" (short videos), a studio that tells independent series of short stories, often released alongside related home streaming films. Peggy's short film was very popular among fans when it was screened at The San Diego Comic-Con, and with this fandom, the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) produced and released the series Agent Carter in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and the series had aired for two seasons before it was canceled.
During World War II, Peggy was initially positioned as Captain America's lover for Steve Rogers and became Captain America's mentoring agent in his work with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. In Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers uses time travel to return to Peggy after solving thanos, and Marvel gives him a seemingly perfect ending, which finally allows the once star-studded couple to dance the dance they promised each other. In fact, the footage of Steve and Peggy dancing in their home in Endgame seems to have marked the end of the two characters' journeys in the MCU.
However, in the episode 4 animated TELEVISION "Whatif...", Peggy actually appears in the first episode, that is, in another parallel universe, and it is she, not Steve, who accidentally receives an injection of super soldier serum and becomes Captain Carter. So far, although she has only appeared in one episode, Marvel Comics has always been good at cultivating former beloved supporting characters into key characters when they are inadvertent, and Peggy Carter has this potential, especially the animation has arranged her as the first person to be the captain, it is difficult to believe that this approach will not bring anything to the MCU. While Peggy Carter's character is now entirely made for the Disney+ series, there are already some indications that parts of the Marvel Comics' plot for Whatif...are laying the groundwork for the character's official return to the MCU.
Carter appears in the first episode of Whatif..., the importance of the future
What is the significance of What If...? Marvel launched a large number of TV series in Phase 4 to create a multiverse and the appearance of important characters of the positive and negative, and "What If..." is one of the most special animated series, which seems to have re-examined the major events of the first three stages, and updated many characters with the help of Marvel's unique parallel universe theory.
Before this animated TV release, I had analyzed that Marvel would not tell you a bunch of stories like "fantasy" for no reason, and planned to do a meaningless thing with 2 seasons of animation. Obviously this is a foreshadowing of the "multiverse", with a large number of characters and stories that will be referenced in MCU movies. Now that the first season has aired, from the current point of view, my previous analysis has been fully verified, and the animation produced by Marvel is completely targeted, which is a typical transitional work.
And Peggy Carter is the first major character in the MCU animated series and the first time to dabble in a multiverse story. Marvel used this character to expose the audience to the previously unknown narrative field of the MCU for two reasons, one is that the story of Captain America and Peggy Carter is familiar enough for the audience, and captain America's gender reversal will be fascinating enough), but more importantly, this story naturally supports the evolution of Peggy's character, feeling that this is Carter's own superhero origin story.
On top of that, this episode of Carter's transformation addresses the mistake the MCU made against Peggy's character in the first 3 stages, giving her room to become a full-fledged female superhero, which should have come sooner. And this change will make her superhero storyline no longer be influenced by female identity. Agent Carter has confirmed a return to Whatif Season 2, and with the MCU's recent focus on a better approach to female characters, which bodes well, carter is likely to transition from animation to live-action MCU productions again.
Captain Carter will continue to spark new stories in the current Marvel Comics storyline
While the TV series Whatif..., is based on the content of Marvel Comic Book, this cosmic timeline of Agent Carter was created specifically for the Disney+ animated series. But Marvel Comics has recently announced that it will reboot the Avengers Forever comics, which will connect to the multiverse storyline and feature Peggy Carter as the protagonist.
The above signs strongly suggest that the attention of the character of Peggy Carter has been raised and may return to the protagonist of the MCU movie. Because Marvel rarely adds new characters in this way, unless there are bigger plans to bring them into the live-action version. Carter, in particular, arrives in the 21st century through the "Cosmic Cube" and meets Nick Fury and Clint Patton, suggesting that her adventures in the main universe have only just begun and Marvel won't end the story.
Hayley Atwell maintains a good working relationship with Marvel
Atwell's performance as Peggy is undoubtedly the reason why the character has long resonated with the audience. In multiple Marvel short films, films, and Agent Carter TV series, it's clear that Atwell himself is very good at representing new aspects of his character in different productions. This achievement led the actress to be invited to voice the Character of Carter in "Whatif...", which is also a sign of Atwell's very good relationship with the studio. Interestingly, Captain Carter's animated character in Whatif... is Atwell herself, and it's easy for viewers to imagine her as an action hero through animation, and being placed in the first episode is enough to prove how receptive she is to the audience.
Of course, before Atwell returns to the MCU movie as a live-action, she will also prove her agent skills with a live-action identity, because she will work with Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 7, which may be released on September 30, 2022, and if Atwell can successfully play the role of this work, it is clear that the return of the MCU and the protagonist role will undoubtedly be within her capabilities.
Peggy Carter's TV series may reboot first
This is arguably the heart of the decision to bring Peggy back to the live MCU. Her characters in the Agent Carter spin-off series were so popular with viewers that when the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) decided to unceremoniously end the Agent Carter series, there was an outcry from the public. In fact, the show has only fallen prey to the U.S. online television economy. They used Atwell's popularity as Peggy to move her to a more mainstream TV series that they hoped would bring higher ratings to the studio's new show. As a result, although the third season of "Agent Carter" has a specific plan, the outstanding issues of the second season are ultimately solved.
However, Marvel Studios has a reputation for dealing with corrective actions against audience-favorite actors and characters when they get involved in disputes, so there is news that Marvel is indeed looking to bring Peggy Carter back, correct previous mishandling and bring benefits to each other.
Peggy Carter's live-action return to the MCU movie channel
In fact, the ending of the first episode of "Whatif..." already denies the theory that Carter is dead. It is rumored that Carter will return in the Easter egg at the end of "Doctor Strange 2 Crazy Multiverse". At present, all kinds of information show that Doctor Strange 2 will be the climax of dealing with various multiverse events, from Scarlet Witch, Loki, and even Spider-Man's upcoming "Hero No Return" event, will be presented one by one. While details of the film have been sparse so far, the effects of a multiverse explosion are sure to be widespread, eventually leaving the MCU open the door for many real-life returns, including Captain Carter.
The most optimistic thing is that the MCU is long overdue for an all-female team. As the founder of "SHIELD" in one timeline and captain of super soldiers in another timeline, leadership skills are clearly not an issue for Peggy Carter. Narratively, Peggy Carter has spent a lot of live-action time fighting for the MCU's main position, and there are plenty of other stories and aspects to look forward to after the character's appearance as an animation in Phase 4. As a woman, she is not only a captain, a war hero, but also a super soldier, and the female obstacles she faces are no longer a problem at this stage of the MCU, only for her to appear in MCU movies again.
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